


A Little Bonding Time

by keelywolfe



Series: by any other name [29]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell (Undertale), Alternate Universe - Underswap (Undertale), Angst, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, M/M, Prejudice Against Monsters (Undertale), Spicyhoney - Freeform, Underfell Papyrus (Undertale), Underfell Sans (Undertale), Underswap Papyrus (Undertale), Undertale Monsters on the Surface, papcest - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 03:11:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16484900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keelywolfe/pseuds/keelywolfe
Summary: After the events at the Beanery, Edge and Red spend time having a little chat. It goes about as well as you would expect.





	A Little Bonding Time

* * *

It was later in the afternoon than Edge normally had coffee and a rare occasion where he went to get it himself. Normally, his secretary was bringing him a cup before he’d even realized he wanted one, but he’d already sent Janice home an hour earlier. She’d been working since before sunrise the same as he had, but she had children waiting for her at home. He’d sent her off, briskly countering her exhausted protests, and that left him here, in the employee breakroom pouring a cup of already-brewed coffee and grimacing at the taste. 

Usually he brewed his own with coffee beans roasted in house at the Beanery. That…would not be a viable option again, for some while. He sipped the generic blend without complaint as he walked back to his office, past Janice’s empty chair. 

He opened the door and stopped. Red was sitting in his desk chair, spinning in lazy circles.

He sighed inwardly. He loved his brother deeply, with all the bitter resolve his soul possessed but there were times, too many of them, that he didn’t particularly _like_ him. Especially now when he was about to get ripped to shreds over last night and never mind that it was richly deserved.

Red braced a foot against the desk, stopping the chair. “sup bro?”

“I’m giving you the opportunity to rethink the seating arrangement before I assist you with it.”

He disappeared with a pop of teleportation, reappearing in one of the guest chairs as Edge walked past it. “that better for you? how’s it going?

Deliberately, Edge pulled a tissue from the box and rubbed it on the spot Red had put his foot. He sat down and took a long drink of his coffee, well aware that he was stalling, and worse, that Red was aware, too.

Fuck, he was too tired for this today.

“I’m finishing our press release now,” Edge read off his list, monotone. “I’ve already sent Asgore my corrections for his speech tonight at the press conference. Two groups have applied for permits for what we suspect are anti-Monster protests. I have a team already working on our counter protests. I also have teams going out to speak to other monster friendly businesses; some of the owners are afraid and could use a little reassurance.”

Red only nodded, giving every appearance of disinterest. Edge knew better than to trust that. “welp, we knew this kind of shit show was going to happen eventually.” He shifted to sprawl in the chair with his legs over the arm, boots dangling. “saw you there last night.”

“I’m sure you did. I, for my part, saw you as well.”

His grin widened, and Red gave him a wink and a finger gun that had Edge grinding his teeth. “good on you. see, the thing is, i coulda sworn i saw stretch there with you, but i know that can’t be right.” He shook his head sadly, propping his chin on his hand while Edge did not meet his gaze. “i thought to myself there was no fucking way. it wasn’t possible that my brother brought his pretty little liability with him to a fucking war zone because i taught him better than that. least i thought it did.”

“It was fine.”

“he was a distraction,” Red said sharply, his veneer of humor cracking. 

“If I hadn’t brought him with me, he would have gone on his own without the benefit of my protection,” Edge snapped. “That, I think, would have been more of a distraction.”

“okay, you can have that one,” Red said lazily. “he behaved pretty well. nice to see he took those lessons i gave him to heart.”

His expression must have betrayed him because Red’s grin widened with sadistic glee. “he didn’t tell you. aw, little brother, don’t look so sad, you know better than that. the best liars know when to keep their mouths shut. yeah, a while back, precious came to me and asked for a little training.”

“Don’t call him that,” Edge said, low. 

Red ignored him, going on, “he’s got a lot of raw power but no skill. you can bludgeon your way along like that for a while until you bump into someone whose better than you.” Red shrugged, slanting him a sideways glance. “gave him a few tips. mostly told him how to stand back and let you handle it like you’re _fucking supposed to!_ ”

The last was snarled out and his eye flared briefly, for once every trace of a smirk dropped away. Yes, Red was definitely furious with him for bringing Stretch along.

Then he relaxed back down, patting absently at his jacket. “he’s not bad, you know. all that power and better control than me or Sans. a little more work and he’d be a hell of—“

“Do not smoke in here,” Edge interrupted coldly.

Red froze with the cigar half pulled out. A long moment passed, the air thick between them. Deliberately, Red tucked the cigar back into his jacket pocket. “whatever you say, boss.”

“Is there anything else you need to tell me that I don’t already know about?” Edge tapped a finger briefly on the report that had been on his desk this morning. Unsigned, written in a language that very few Monsters could read and certainly no Humans. His brother had forced him to learn it as a child and his paranoia was still serving them well. 

“nah,” Red shrugged and stood up. Almost unconsciously, Edge relaxed slightly. That was a far less vicious dressing down than he’d expected. 

“papyrus.” 

That gave him a pause. No one called him that anymore except Red on very, very rare occasions. He raised a brow bone at him and said nothing. 

“go home.” 

It was incongruous and for a moment Edge didn’t believe he’d heard him correctly. “What?”

“go. home,” Red repeated patiently. “cause see, right now you’re acting a little too much like my brother and not enough like the monster who was standing at the altar a few weeks ago. pretty sure that isn’t the guy stretch wanted the whole love and cherish shit with. go home, take a shower, make dinner, fuck the honey bun someplace you’ve never done it before. remind yourself why you’re doing this.”

“Sans—"

"bet he’d like to see you right now,” Red said softly. “normalcy is very important to stretch. least that’s what his therapist says. oh, sorry, you wouldn’t know that."

“Stop it!” It was far too close to being a plea.

"what time did you get here this morning?” Red went on relentlessly. “how long have you been working? he's been sitting home all alone for how long now? I tell ya, i didn’t go through all the effort to get you two hitched for you to fuck it up after three weeks of marital bliss.”

“The effort you went through,” Edge laughed harshly, “ah yes, you were so helpful!”

“you’d be surprised, little brother.” Red’s smile was aggravatingly knowing and as familiar to him as his own face in a mirror. His brother was always offering tantalizing hints about mysterious knowledge that he never answered, tangled together until it was impossible to know where his lies began. "take my advice. go home. all of that will be there tomorrow but you never know about anything, or anyone, else.”

Edge said nothing. He could feel the prick of his own fingertips in his bony palm, digging through his gloves.

“welp, i’ve gotta see a man about a dog,” Red said cheerfully, “see you around, boss.”

Red left through the door for a change, waggling his fingers over his shoulder in a mocking goodbye. The moment the door closed, Edge hurled his empty coffee cup at the door. It shattered, pieces flying, and Edge stood behind his desk, breathing hard. He closed his sockets and focused, calming the agitated LV clamoring in his soul. One minute passed, two, until he opened his sockets. 

Pieces of ceramic were scattered everywhere, and he picked up each piece methodically, dropping them one at a time into the wastebasket. 

Then he took his brother’s advice. 

-finis

**Author's Note:**

> Whew, are we ready to get back to the fluff, yet?
> 
> Next chapter...


End file.
